On Being 28 and Turning 30

One of my go-to bloggers, Jess Graves of thelovelist.net, wrote a post about Being 28 and Turning 30. Although it is no longer posted, it stuck out for me as I turned 29 last week. 

Yeah, yeah, 29 is a pretty unremarkable year. It's not 28, which is supposed to be one of the best (most together) years of your twenties without having to think about babies. And, it's nowhere near the milestone that turning 30 will be. 

That being said, I took my unremarkable birthday and let fate/luck/coincidence decide. Britney Spears just happened to have a show on my birthday. It just happened to be in Vegas. There just happened to be a Rent the Runway shop, a pool party with Zedd as resident DJ, fuzzy crowns, slot machines, and my best friend who happened to say yes to this well-played caper. 

I crossed an item off my Bucket List and in true form, it took me the entire holiday weekend to recover. Do I feel the need to do it again when I turn 30? No. Could I have done it at any other time? Questionable. I was in the exact right place at exactly the right time. 

This occasion took place while many of my peers experienced their own life milestones: weddings, engagements, becoming homeowners, and starting families. When I started this blog, I admitted that I have trouble seeing beyond the not-so-distant future. I have no set life plan or path; and consequently, I have nothing to answer to or to hold me back. 

In the past year, I've interviewed for a position that was so right but wrong at the same time. I've become a homeowner and have ping-ponged between relief and remorse. I've become more of a leader, a do-er, a bridesmaid. A "Me" became more of a "We", and I've learned to be a better teammate and partner. I can say no to both things and people. I've never been more nervous or more excited or more capable. 

As for the Turning 30 bit, my BFF Mary had an interesting concept. Instead of viewing it as "I'm 30 and my life is over", think of it as "Now I can do anything I want because I'm 30". My 101 things in 1001 days list is always a good motivator.